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How Do You Like Your Rosé?

We like ours organic and biodynamic. And we’ve met our perfect match thanks to our latest addition, MART, from Gramona. Gramona are admired as one of the finest makers of sparkling wine in Spain, they also make white and rosé still wines from Xarel-lo. All their wines are either certified Organic or Biodynamic. MART is … Read More

Turner Pageot Visit

It has been a fun and educating week in WineMason when Manu Pageot of Turner Pageot came to visit. For any potential winemakers out there looking to emulate the beauty in each of his wines, the finishing result of Emmanuel’s wines are nowhere near a stroke of luck or the result of some laissez faire … Read More

Meet Barolo Girl

Please meet our latest producer, Giulia Negri. Known as the ‘Barolo Girl’, Giulia is a rising star of the Langhe producing beautifully elegant and pure Nebbiolo. We are so delighted to have gotten our hands on her wine and we can’t wait to share them with you. Giulia is the most recent generation to take … Read More

Basking in Mt. Etna’s Glory

In the (three) words of John Szabo, volcanic wines are salt, grit and power.

I will need more than three words to describe my recent trip to Tenuta delle Terre Nere, which is located in the extraordinary location at the northern slopes of the hyperactive volcano, Mt. Etna. Everyday life round Mt. Etna is dominated by the Volcano, referred to by locals as Mama as she both nurtures and scolds her dependents. Her presence is a constant reminder of the delicate balance between life and death.

I visited 5 vineyards during my visit, each with its own very unique personality.

Santo Spirito 1er Cru
The vineyard comprising of 4 parcels makes up 15 hectares. The age of the vines is between 50-100 years. The rich and fertile soil is sandy and deep, made up of 90% ash. Bowl shaped vineyard fills up with debris and ash nutrients from land above. The vineyards suits the very intense variety Carricante letting it produce ample quantities which allows for the intensity to be diluted somewhat. Find our Etna Bianco, Santo Spirito 2017 here.

 

Guardiola 1er Cru
Meaning to guard, Guardiola aptly sits above Santa Spirito (800-1000 metres above sea level). Here the soil becomes steadily poorer with a high proportion of pebbly basalt along with sand and ash which tends to get washed down to Santo Spirito below. The style of (red) wine in this vineyard goes towards lean and structured with an austerity akin to Barolo. Find our Etna Rosso Guardiola here.

 

Calderara Sottana Grand Cru
This vineyard surrounds the actual property of Tenuta delle Terre Nere, elevation 600-700 metres. Stoney pebbles with black pumice. This vineyard offers the broadest spectrum of flavours from any of the vineyards. Harvest here can be late, often the second or third week of October. Find our Etna Rosso Calderara Sottana 2015 here.

 

San Lorenzo Grand Cru
750 metres above sea level, San Lorenzo has similar soil types to Calderara Sottana but with its higher elevation and remote location surrounded by wood on three sides, it is a cool vineyard. The wines therefore are richly concentrated but with a very good ageing capacity. Find our Etna Rosso San Lorenzo here.

 

Tenuta delle Terre Nere owner, Marco do Grazi was drawn to the power of Mt. Etna, recognising her strengths and weaknesses, “Some things were true (referring to terroir) while others had to be perfected”. Grazi had previously shone the spotlight in Piedmont over many years, however his discovery of volcanic soil and its mouth-watering qualities set him on his life mission to express as purely as possible the refined and multifaceted microcosm of this ancient volcanic land. The soil composition of this volcanic land varies astonishingly; even pure lava comes in technicoloured variations. There is a lightness and freshness to everything in Etna, be it grapes, olives or honey. The bond between the winemakers and nature is what really sets Tenute delle Terre Nere apart from other winemakers, allowing themselves to be guided by the soil and the climate – it’s almost a conversation between the two.

Portfolio Tasting 2018

Monday the 9th of April saw our 2018 Portfolio Tasting. We were delighted with the turn out, thanks to everyone for coming down – it was great to see you. With the first day of summer sunshine, the light was streaming in through the windows at The Drury Buildings giving way to a jovial start … Read More

Austrian Red Wines

Austria makes great red wines. While the success story for Austrian exports may be Gruner Veltliner, following on its heels are distinctive and compelling red wines. The main red grape varieties are Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch, St Laurent and Pinot Noir. Merlot and Syrah are also found alone or more typically in blends. The two regions of … Read More

Riesling Vorfreude (“Riesling Anticipation”)

Here are some notes on the two Riesling master classes which we held on 17 May 2017, presented by Anne Krebiehl MW who we flew over for the day from London. Germany’s wine regions cover 4 degrees of latitude from 51 to 48 degrees north and wine production is strongly influenced by and would be … Read More

Focus on Gruner Veltliner

Gruner Veltliner hit the wine world headlines in 2002 as a variety capable of making wines to rival the very best Chardonnay and Riesling. It became a darling grape of the New York Wine scene, and its popularity has spread internationally. Since 2002 Gruner Veltliner has remained popular though other fashions come and go. Read … Read More

Vintages in German Riesling

We recently opened a selection of wines from several vintages and producers who we represent. The tasting reinforced the value of knowing your vintages and understanding how the wines are evolving. Just as drinking grand cru Burgundy or Cru Classe Bordeaux it is equally important for top tier German Riesling. 2013 – very fine high … Read More

2014 – Joining the Dots

In 2014 we started trading under a new name representing 17 producers who we already worked with. We added 7 more during the year bringing the total wines offered to just under 200. Our travels took us to Portugal, Austria, France, Germany and the UK. Ben’s highlights included appreciating top Gruner Veltliner at Vievinum and making progress … Read More

Syrah and South Africa

Tidying out a corner of the office I found a tasting sheet from a trip to South Africa in March 2001. At that time, there was great expectation and plenty of winemakers sure that Syrah was the next thing for South Africa. It has taken longer than expected to take hold but finally South African Syrah … Read More